Establish Your Hearts

[This recording seems to have several skips - where a portion of the teaching is missing.]

0:00 - Welcoming comments

1:25 - There’s a river in us. It flows from the threshold of the temple and we are the temple of God. John 7 - out of our bellies will flow rivers of living water. Life giving water.

2:10 - The privilege of believing - The promises are to the believer - not the gifted. That’s good news because we all have the privilege of believing.

James 5 -Establish Your Heart in Truth

➡ 3:15 - A scripture on my heart --> let’s go to James 5. The word “establish” is in this scripture. That’s why we’re taking time to teach right now before we pray for anyone who needs prayer - because we want to establish truth in our hearts.

3:35 - Jesus was God’s expression on the earth - I want you to understand something about the gospel. Jesus and His life lived among us is the expression of who God is. God’s mercy came on the earth. God is merciful, loving and kind. And that’s why God sent His Son - because of the state that we were all in.

3:45 - We all fall short - We all lived selfishly - If you don’t realize our need, you will never appreciate what God did for us in Jesus and love Him much. If you don’t realize that you’re in need of being forgiven of much, you won’t love much. Self-righteousness - You’ll just think, “I’m not so bad.” But we all need the blood of Jesus. We’ve all fallen short of the moral standard that God has for us. We’ve all lived selfishly.

4:10 - So He came and laid down His life for us. And He set an example for us to follow.

4:25 - Don’t let the circumstances of life change what you believe - Reading from James 5:7,8… Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. - I see this a lot: Many times we set out believing something and then with time and circumstances, we change our minds. Life changes our minds. And yet what we set out believing is still true. It’s still the word of God. It can’t change.

5:50 - Establish your hearts - Settle on the truth - You settle what you believe. It’s not up for grabs. It’s not for sale. You establish first what you believe and the foundation upon which you stand. That doesn’t mean that is the end of your growth and maturation - that’s where it starts. A belief can continue to grow with revelation. You can get more established. But you can’t be fickle. You have to settle on the truth of Jesus Christ.

6:20 - Example of truth that should not change: He loves me - For instance: He loves me and He’ll never change His mind. And no circumstance should change that belief.

6:30 - Example of shifting from this truth because of the circumstances of life.

6:50 - Failing to recognize the work of the enemy. Attributing the enemy’s work to God. Work of the enemy - coming against the kingdom in you.

Impatience

7:20 - Giving up on God’s promises because of the passage of time. “If God were going to heal me, I’d be healed by now…”

7:40 - Giving up on healing. But if Jesus touched her, she would be healed. We are growing. When a healing doesn’t happen, it doesn’t change the Gospel.

8:00 - If you don’t settle your heart up front, you’ll never live with endurance, perseverance, patience.

8:05 - Farmer analogy - adds work to his faith. And he’s got expectation. Goes to sleep and wakes up to a crop.

8:30 - Impatience with bean seeds - Bean seeds that didn’t come up on time. Bean seeds are usually very predictable. Twice normal time goes by. Thinking about the possibilities. Digs up seed. It was almost ready to come up. “My people do it (this) all the time.” Interceding in the garden.

11:15 - Don’t be impatient with God’s promises - We see what the word says. We release the work of faith. But then we overthink - why it might not happen - reasons that all seem right to a man - but their way leads to death. You also be patient - If God said it, it’s “yes and amen.” We’re not waiting on God. We’re growing into the revelation - into Christ. If He said yes, then I’m purposing to grow into that “yes”. I’m not going to find a reason to make God’s “yes” a “no”.

12:10 - Stepping out with joy but giving up. It’s always because of the circumstances of life.

12:30 - Become rooted - Mark 4 - One of the seeds was sown onto rocky ground. Received with joy. Sprouts up immediately - then comes the heat of the day and it withers because it has no root.

Rooted & Grounded in Love

13:15 - Rooted in love - Be rooted and grounded in love. Love will establish your heart and cause you to be patient. If you see the love of God in Jesus, you will get established and you won’t change your mind no matter what. Because love never fails. And perfect love casts out all fear.

13:40 - People struggle with receiving the love of God because satan knows that it’s the freedom and victory of your life. Our foundation is in Christ. For God so loved that He gave the Word - He gave His Son.

14:00 - So I’m founded in Christ but I’m rooted and grounded in love. The foundation that I’m built on is Christ but my roots go down deep into the love of God that can never fail. That’s a serious building. It’s not falling.

Grumbling & Complaining

14:25 - v.9 - Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. - Don’t grumble against one another. Keep praying for mercy on whatever you are tempted to grumble about.

15:00 - Don’t let life be all about you - your comfort - your convenience. Life should be about Christ - about the kingdom of God. It’s never about you.

15:10 - If life becomes about you, you’ll be a sitting duck for the enemy. If you are touchy, you’ll be touched.

15:20 - You need to die - to deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow the Master.

15:30 - Self-centeredness leading to grumbling against one another.

16:25 - The shortcomings of others shouldn’t change what you believe - the gospel - and lead you to grumble. Others can be a blessing to you but they shouldn’t be a detriment. (Free from me, free from you, free to love you.)

17:00 - Lady in cast (Ohio) - Never going back to church. Had lived in hurt for years. Was touched by the heart of God. Potter and clay. She was becoming the product of that disfunction - a clay pot molded by that hurt - those people. Foot healed.

19:00 - Complaining like the Israelites in the wilderness. Fell dead. Complaining about manna, leadership. Way that seems right to a man. Made it all about them instead of God’s plan.

20:35 - Loathing the worthless bread - Today: The gospel that You have provided is not enough. “I’m tired of living by faith!” “I’m sick of this Christian life!” They try to justify - “Everybody has their moments.” Don’t complain or you will be destroyed by the destroyer like they were.

21:15 - Imagine how the Israelites must have felt…

Endurance / Perseverance

[Skip in the recording - recording skips to different topic… the recordig skips v. 10 - Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. - and resumes midway through discussion of v. 11a - Behold, we count them happy which endure.]

22:25 - Losing confidence - circumstances overwhelm your initial mindset - what stirred you up in the first place - the promise of the word of God. Being fired up but then losing confidence. “Maybe I didn’t hear God in the first place.” You’re in turmoil. You’re not established. You’re fickle. You’re living by your feelings. Get back to the word. Be established in your heart. It’s a simple thought but there is a lot to it.

Job - Keep God in Right Perspective

23:30 - v.11b - Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. -

23:45 - Misinterpretation of the story of Job - People use Job in the context of: no hope of deliverance. But God restored Job. Job should engender hope. Don’t use Job as a cop out to not live by faith.

24:50 - Sometimes we soothe our soul rather than feed our spirit. We pay more attention to the wishy washy cry of our emotions than the cry of our spirit. Fight the good fight of faith.

25:05 - People mention Job when they are going through hardship and they are bummed out. They are not in faith. Job is often mentioned on the streets. “I’m not a disciple of Job. I’m a disciple of Jesus.”

25:30 - Explaining the story of Job - Satan out to show that Job was like any other man - loving his own life - selfish. Remove the blessings - he’ll curse you. If you learn anything from Job learn that God is good and satan is the one stealing, killing and destroying. The kind intention of the Lord is to deliver or He would have never sent His Son.

26:40 - Outward appearances of faith - “But they were in faith....” You can be saying all the right things on the outside but be freaking out in fear on the inside.

27:00 - Don’t take circumstances personally - Live for Him and His glory - When we seek healing - Seek healing for the kingdom, for His name’s sake and that He is revealed. Then adverse circumstances will never get personal - they will never appear to be an indication from God of your value or importance. Put Him first - live for Him and His glory and then this won’t be an issue.

27:20 - We think that our “needs” need to be met. No, I need Him revealed - the glory of God revealed. I need to retain my countenance / composure / my integrity towards Him come hell or high water.

Adverse Circumstances? Pray

27:50 - v.12 - But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. - Just say “yes” or “no”.

➡ 28:15 - Here, I think is where the connection is… in verses 5 & 8 James talks about patience. You also be patient. Establish your hearts. Then he goes on to talk about the kind intention of the Lord, perseverance and Job. Do you think he’s saying something to us as a whole? He’s saying Look guys, everything is not always going to be rosy. Your ducks won’t always be in a row. There will be some frustration, some pressure along the way. And the enemy is going to be there trying to deceive you. Then after he talks about how God is compassionate and merciful, how we need to be patient, about Job and how we need to keep God in proper perspective THEN he goes right into saying, is anyone among you suffering? He’s saying if you are suffering, pray...

29:45 - v.13 - Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. -

29:55 - v.14 - Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: - Not talking about the office of elder - because some elders don’t believe in healing - that it’s the will of God to heal. Rather - mature ones - believing ones.

Prayer of Faith

[Skip in the recording at 29:56… Discussion resumes with v.15 - And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.]

30:00 - ...God, let me see like Jesus sees so that when I touch they are healed. You can pray personally with God that way.

30:20 - Because of our experience we create doctrines that subvert faith. We back off. But we continue to have need. We pray the right “Christian” prayers.

30:50 - Motives in praying - Prayer of faith vs. just prayer, or prayer of desperation, prayer of religious spirits, prayer of rhetorical Christian identity, prayer of fear, prayer of need. But faith doesn’t work by need. Faith works by love. We should pray, not because we are in trouble and need help, but because we see the Helper. Pray from the foundation of the promise and the love of Jesus.

31:20 - Prayer of faith - “Say to the mountain” - You say to the mountain when you look from the perspective of God. You see the problem for what it is - how God sees it. You understand through the Son (Jesus’ words to us) what God has to say about the problem. And you attack it from His perspective.

32:00 - The way Jesus taught us to pray - If you have faith you say to the mountain… So the evidence of faith is turning to the mountain and telling it what it’s got to do because of who it is. It’s exposed. It’s not of God. Faith will say to the mountain, “Be removed!” And the mountain WILL move. Jesus didn’t say to go around the mountain or climb over the mountain. “You’re not the will of God. You’re exposed by Jesus Christ. You are not welcome in my life. And I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to get out. Go!”

32:50 - You can be in the midst of serious circumstances and still have the victory in your heart. Jesus remains Lord. You inspire others. You send a message of truth.

33:40 - The prayer of faith will... - very clear.

34:00 - Atmosphere. The prayer of faith will save the sick.

35:05 - The way that seems right to a man - one of the biggest killers in the church - a logical, reasonable way that we think that justifies doubt and unbelief. But it leads to death. As a man thinketh so he is.

Free from Sin

35:55 - [Skip - Testimony was cut off.]

36:00 - Righteousness before God. You’re free from sin and the effects of sin. By faith receive this.

37:20 - Rom 8 - The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. We’ not living under the law but through grace by the Spirit. I don’t have to answer to sin I answer to God and He says that I’m righteous - as if I had never eaten from the tree.

38:15 - So everything that came with sin is crushed. Our sins are removed. Why would we ever answer for them?

38:40 - The body & the blood - Why did His body have to be beaten so badly? Because sin had effects in our flesh. He had to give His flesh to wipe away the effects of sin. He gave his blood to get sin out of the picture. He gave His body to get it’s effects out of our flesh. So the whole package of sin is swallowed up.

39:20 - Song - “I am Redeemed”

39:55 - If he has committed any sin, it shall be remitted… God’s mercy.

40:00 - Healing and forgiveness go together - So if God heals you He’s saying that He’s already forgiven your sin through the blood of His Son.

40:10 - Paralytic lowered through the roof - If I forgave you then I healed you. If I healed you then I forgave you.

40:50 - Reject sin consciousness - We’re not going to live sin conscious any more. We die to sin, once for all. That doesn’t mean just the act of sin but the mentality of sin.

41:00 - Reject sinner identity & false humility - We’ve been ensnare in the confession of sin. We think it’s humble before God. “Well, you know we’re not perfect.” “We all have the mess ups in our lives.” “It’s a wonder that God even acknowledges us.” Who you’re talking about isn’t who He created - not the way we designed to be. You became that way through the fall. And if you stay in that confession, you’ll stay deceived and keep manifesting the deception.

41:25 - Confess who you’ve become - But if you see who you’re created to be and declared from the beginning and what He brought you back to, through His Son, you’ll have a confession of righteousness unto holiness. And you’ll live free.

41:40 - He bore our sin in His body on a tree that we, having died to sin, might live for righteousness and by his stripes we are healed - 1 Pet. 2:24. All unrighteousness is removed. It has nothing to stick to. And all that I can manifest is Him.

➡ 42:10 - The good fight of faith - Manifesting Him doesn’t just fall into your lap. Sometimes you have to you have to fight the good fight of faith, be patient and establish your heart and refuse to be moved even when nothing is making any sense and everything is going against the grain of the word of God. But His word is still true.

[Skip in the recording - Discussion resumes in or around v.16a - Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.]

42:35 - Who you are when you’re all alone is who you are. Let that person not be ashamed to be revealed to any man.

42:50 - Violating your conscience, shipwrecking your faith - ruining your confidence with God. You won’t enter His throne room boldy and receive His grace. You won’t be able to live by faith, please God and release the kingdom.

Self-condemnation

43:35 - v.16a - Holding yourself in condemnation after sin. Hinders your joy, your life in Christ. Don’t do that. Simply confess your faults to one another, to Him and He is faithful and just to cleanse you of all unrighteousness. He remembers your sins no more.

44:10 - Pastor Don swearing - Begs forgiveness a thousand times. I guess God was confused because He forgave you the first time and all the others He had no idea what you were talking about.

45:00 - How his heart responded is who he is. His heart had changed. The gospel had purified his heart. Don’t drag around feeling bad for three days.

45:40 - Don’t be identified by a sin - “I’m so glad to see that the gospel has purified your heart.” They so identify with what they did wrong. Instead of realizing that they now care about it. There was a time you did those things and didn’t blink an eye. Now you care, so I bet something has changed in your heart.

46:05 - Prayer of confession - God, that’s so not who you made me to be…

46:20 - Don’t even ask for forgiveness because then you open up the question: “Am I forgiven?” And you’ll ask it a thousand times. It doesn’t even say to ask for forgiveness. It says to confess. Once you confess, He is faithful and just to cleanse.

46:30 - Confession continues… We can pray that way right after a booboo, if you’re sincere.

Righteous Identity

47:00 - v.16b - The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. - Do you see why it’s so important to keep a righteous identity? Because you have a right to be in the presence of God and pray in the name of Jesus.

48:10 - I’m righteous - in Him. I’m bold and confident that He’s in me by His desire. Let’s let Him be all that He wants to be in us. That’s why we have a right to pray for the sick tonight.

➡ 48:50 - Let your hearts be established was His word for us tonight. It is the will of God to heal. If we don’t establish that. If we don’t establish that, we can never pray the prayer of faith. You’ll be praying the prayer of hope so… but it won’t be faith.